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Mining activity and habitat use by mountain sheep (Ovis canadensis)

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Abstract

We studied mountain sheep in the vicinity of three high-wall limestone mines in San Bernardino County, CA, USA to evaluate factors that influenced habitat use and, specifically, to investigate the influence of mining activity on distribution of those specialized ungulates. We used aerial telemetry data to estimate a resource selection function by fitting a logistic regression model and then comparing environmental characteristics at observed sheep locations to those at random locations. Distribution of mountain sheep was most influenced by a fire in 1999 that resulted in an area they avoided. Mountain sheep used steeper slopes, areas of lower terrain roughness, higher elevations, and areas closer to escape terrain than were random points. In contrast, sheep avoided areas near roads (federal and state highways, local roads, and off-road vehicle trails) but used areas near hiking trails and a railway. Water sources had the smallest effect of the factors considered, with sheep being associated with areas further from water points than were random locations. The disturbed area associated with the mines had a moderate influence on distribution, with sheep being associated with areas closer to the mine than were random points. Mining activities can alter terrain features and vegetation structure or composition in a way that promotes occupancy by sheep if they create steep slopes and rugged terrain (escape terrain) or reduce vegetation density or height (i.e., improve visibility). Whether increased occupancy reflects a benefit depends on the demographic responses of those sheep to the resources and conditions available on mine sites; information about those responses remains lacking.

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Acknowledgments

We thank B. Adams, R. Barboza, R. Botta, K. Brennan, C. Davis, D. DeJesus, T. Glenner, A. Hunter, K. Jones, L. Konde, J. McKeever, A. Pauli, B. Pierce, T. Stephenson, P. Swift, R. Teagle, J. Villepique (CDFG), and S. DeJesus (Landells Aviation) for capturing and handling sheep, T. Evans (CDFG) for conducting telemetry flights, C. Davis and K. Brennan for acting as telemetry observers, and numerous other individuals, particularly those representing the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep, who assisted in the field. We thank D. Shumway and D. Rib (Mitsubishi Cement Corporation) and D. Anderson (Specialty Minerals Corporation) for logistical help. L. Konde helped with GIS analyses, D. Anderson provided GIS coverages of the area disturbed by mining activity, and D. Studer (US Forest Service) provided information on trails in the San Bernardino National Forest. Funding for this project was provided by the CDFG Mountain Sheep Conservation Program, the Mitsubishi Cement Corporation, and the Granite Bay Chapter of Safari Club International; this is Professional Paper 065 from the Eastern Sierra Center for Applied Population Ecology. All aspects of field work for this project followed standard protocols for animal and personnel safety established by the California Department of Fish and Game (Jessup et al. 1986) and complied with acceptable field methods adopted by the American Society of Mammalogists (Animal Care and Use Committee 1998).

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Author notes

  1. Vernon C. Bleich

    Present address: Eastern Sierra Center for Applied Population Ecology, 11537 36X Street SW, Suite 102, Dickinson, ND, 58601, USA

  2. James H. Davis

    Present address: , 228 Harris Ridge Loop, Kooskia, ID, 83539, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, California Department of Fish and Game, 407 W. Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, USA

    Vernon C. Bleich & James H. Davis

  2. School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa

    Jason P. Marshal

  3. Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Game, 1701 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova, CA, 95670, USA

    Steven G. Torres & Ben J. Gonzales

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  1. Vernon C. Bleich
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Correspondence to Vernon C. Bleich.

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Communicated by P. Krausman

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Bleich, V.C., Davis, J.H., Marshal, J.P. et al. Mining activity and habitat use by mountain sheep (Ovis canadensis). Eur J Wildl Res 55, 183–191 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-008-0234-3

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